Silence pervaded the surroundings as calm returned. The battle of one versus five came to a stop with the death of the [Emperor Penguin]. Wild energies flew about as rumblings ensued, golden light beginning to manifest in front of me as something began forming.

Besides this golden light, I began feeling a connection forming between me and something that I didn’t yet understand. When the connection was on the process of being established, an extravagant amount of information was squeezed into my mind as a scene similar to when I cleared a dungeon for the first time in this world repeated itself.

The dense amount of information was quickly transformed into something legible, becoming a skill that appeared in my panel soon after. The skill read, {Spiritual Land Management}.

Too many things were happening all at once as the connection I felt intensified, the essence around me that was flaring up gradually settling itself down. When everything finished, I found myself breathing hard as I realized the identity of the connection.

I could...feel a pulse of something spectacular resonating with me. This was...the Spiritual Land?!

My shock only continued to increase as the golden light that was shining in front of me finished forming into an ancient-looking golden stone. It had a few crevices and cracks, but it floated imposingly in the air. This was the largest core I had ever seen, and my heart rate increased as I confirmed its identity

[Aged LEGENDARY Core] I wasted no time as I quickly grabbed onto this huge core, watching the blinding light flow into my storage pouch and transform into a golden skill book, and a few smaller cores.

Besides these cores and golden skill book, there were a few other skill books and items that I received from the deaths of the five beasts. I was planning on taking a look at them right then and there when I received a signal that I would be getting transported from this trial space in the next few seconds.

The scene changed again as I appeared back into the flat frozen landscape where the transparent woman and the EPIC beasts were in. I observed the golden door I had previously touched to start the trial gradually fade away, as snowy white plants began to sprout out of our surroundings, the landscape changing yet again.

The only difference this time is that I knew why it was happening. A sonorous voice rang out right then and there.

"Haha! The first human to ever own a Spiritual Land has appeared through my hands. Good!"

Her words confirmed the things happening were real as I thought to the connection I felt between myself and this floating landmass. It seemed like I had a tremendous amount of influence on everything on here, making me entirely shaken and surprised.

I looked towards the many EPIC beasts in the surroundings, the [Emperor Penguin] and others appearing once again, although their faces were ashen and showing extreme weakness. The trial space really was something similar to a dungeon, with our origins being the ones sent in. So these beasts did not face true death when they died there. I smiled at this as many thoughts sprung around in my head.

The beasts, seeing my gaze towards them, slumped down to their knees unwillingly as they bowed, their dense voices rushing out.

"We greet the Spiritual Land Master!"

I had a bright smile on my face as I continued to wrap my head around this fantastic situation. I placed my attention to the figure of the woman and said,

"Thank you for all the help."

"It was all you really. You passed the trial that many of the beasts in this generation couldn’t and showed how you excelled for people of the same stage. I’m curious to see how you will fare when you fully step into the LEGENDARY rank. As for this Spiritual Land, it is very complex and should take you a few weeks to get a handle on how to properly manage it. I’ll tell you now that if you use it correctly, the benefits you will have will be boundless."

The figure of the woman was gradually fading as her words rang out.

"If you successfully pass the battle with the Demon King moving in the North, head towards the Mythical Phoenix Kingdom. We could use a powerhouse of that level against the war with the demon forces there."

As soon as her words finished, her figure popped away into nothingness, but not before I heard one last thing.

"Oh, and treat these beasts kindly. They are one of the keys to upgrading your Spiritual Land."

Her presence was fully gone as I looked around the changing surroundings where the colorful white grass had spread all around as light began to illuminate the center of the Spiritual Land we were in.

I was excited to check the skills I gained from the death of the EPIC beasts and the LEGENDARY core, but the skill that took most of my attention after the figure that never told me their identity disappeared was the skill about managing the Spiritual Land. I looked for the skill that seemed to hold the most surprises this time, as a large panel appeared right when I focused on it.

{Spiritual Land Management} [Frozen Plateau-2]

Beasts: F-XXX, E-XXX, D-19,430, C-6943, B-2876, A-341, S-68, EPIC-15

Plants- Whitefall Trees. Available for planting(Snow Vine, Sacred Rye...)

Features- Size Regulation(Unlocked), Movement(Unlocked), Anchor(Unlocked), Boost Surroundings(Locked), Architecture(Locked), Frozen Barrier(Locked), Offensive Maneuvers(Locked), @#[email protected]%(Locked), Time Dilation(Locked), [email protected]##$(Locked)...

Upgrade- Conditions not met. @%%^#$

This...I didn’t even know where to begin as I looked through this skill. It was actually classified as a Unique Skill, but that wasn’t the biggest surprise. I was looking through all the functions below the skill that seemed too amazing to even fathom.

I confirmed the name of this tier 2 Spiritual Land to be the Frozen Plateau, and the things I saw below it made my heart go wild. A multitude of beasts were shown in large numbers, as well as many other functions I would have to spend some time to get used to.

The powerful woman that just left had mentioned that managing the Spiritual Land would be a strenuous task, but as I looked towards the things I could do with this newly gained unique skill...the possibilities and things I had yet to learn about endlessly opened up in front of me. But, they would have to wait as I had to hurry to a battlefield that would decide the fate of the Frozen Kingdom.

---

A stream of consciousness was rapidly tearing through the skies, returning to its main body thousands of miles away. It pierced through the clouds and neared a fantastical floating land that seemed like a paradise.

The stream of consciousness was quickly absorbed into the main body of an enormous individual that floated in an expanse of red clouds.

A magnificent golden beak shone dangerously as the yellow eyes of the beast flew open. Long and slender fiery wings were stretched outright powerfully as the beast rose. The body seemed to wreath with sparkling golden flames as a majestic [Imperial Phoenix] made its appearance.

It looked to the North where something interesting had just occurred before its attention soon moved away to other matters. It had done all that was needed, and now everything was left to their own devices. The large body disappeared in a blink as it dove down from the paradisical floating Spiritual Land towards another much lager floating landmass below it, where exquisite architecture became visible to the n.a.k.e.d eye.

The mind of the powerful [Imperial Phoenix] was now occupied with the messages of the movements of multiple Demon Legions in the surroundings of the Mythical Phoenix Kingdom. The only thought that now passed in this hegemony’s mind was,

’A holder of an Ultimate Skill of the Seven Deadly Sins in the lead? Hmph. Let’s see how you will fare against my neverending flames.’

Time continued to move, with many pieces moving with it. Multiple hegemonies were fighting their own wars that stretched across the lands. The radiance of their battles, tragic struggles, and bountiful victories continued as something none of them expected was rising in the dark.